MKB 42(H)
The MKB 42 (H) is an early assault rifle in Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad. One of the weapons utilized by the Axis Assault Class, the MKB 42 (H) is an experimental assault rifle with a 30 round magazine and the capacity for both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire. It becomes available to the Axis Elite Assault class upon reaching veterancy. if you have the Deluxe Edition you can automatically pick this weapon up in the Squad leader and Elite Riflemen Classes without the need to unlock it. General Information Even though magazine capacity is 30, at the start of any respawn the starting magazine has only 29 rounds because a round has automatically been put into the chamber of the rifle. This means if one reloads at the beginning of a respawn, they will have a total of 31 rounds in the rifle (thirty in the fresh magazine plus one in the chamber), although this also means that there will now be a 29-bullet magazine in reserve. Reloading when completely empty takes a little longer than reloading with a bullet still in the chamber. The MKB 42(H) can fire semi-automatically when using alt fire. Compared to the Russian equivalent of the weapon, the AVT 40, the MKB 42(H) fires a less powerful cartridge, which results in a slower, less powerful bullet. Bullet speed clocks in at 646 meters per second compared to the AVT's 840 meters per second. The bullet spin coefficient is higher, which makes the weapon less accurate at range than the AVT. Targets at range need to be led more and may require multiple hits to kill, although the weapon reliably kills quickly up to middle distances. Among the MKB's advantages are its significantly larger magazine. It has a slower rate of fire than the AVT at around 600 RPM, and together with its larger magazine, the MKB can sustain fire for a relatively long period of time. Per shot recoil is lower than the AVT's, which together with its slower rate of fire makes the MKB a much more controllable weapon. Reloading while empty, at 3.117 seconds, is slightly faster than the AVT (3.24), but a reload with bullets still in the magazine is slightly slower. The MKB's penetration power is lower than that of the AVT and most other rifles. One particularly strong difference between the two weapons is the fact that the MKB's scope has a much lower level of zoom than that of the AVT. This, coupled with lower bullet velocity and damage, makes the MKB less suited to long-range than the AVT. In general, the MKB handles similarly to the MP 40, albeit with greater recoil and faster, more powerful rounds. It straddles the line between submachine-guns and rifles, although its relatively weak cartridge and its high rate of fire make it closer to the former than the latter. The AVT, on the other hand, is little more than an SVT-40 modified to be fully automatic; indeed, when using the alternative fire mode the two guns are indistinguishable. Therefore, while the AVT-40 also fits somewhere between the other rifles and the submachine-guns, it is more similar to the rifles. Available Upgrades: Level 25 - Bayonet Level 50 - 1.5x ZF 41 Scope Strengths & Weaknesses: + Versatile, with the ZF 41 scope upgrade it can act as a designated marksman's rifle + Pleasant stock grind + High rate of fire + Bridges the gap between rifles like the G 41 (which had limited close range effectiveness) and submachine guns like the MP 40 (which would be useless at long range) - Recoil is obnoxious, generally better off rapid-firing on semi-auto rather than using full auto - Ends up running out of ammo quickly - Jack of all trades, master of none Historical/factual information The Maschinenkarabiner 1942 (Haenel) is the prototype/early production version of the more well known Sturmgewehr 44, variably known as the MP43, MP44 or STG44. The MKB 42 fires the same 7.92x33(8mm Kurz) round as the later MP44/STG44. It is a common misconception MKB42/MP44 project was kept hidden from the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler because Hitler wanted to focus on submachinegun production rather than developing new rifles; in reality, he was aware and wary of logistical strain and limited effect from a matching limited deployment, seeking to quell administrative infighting and consolidate production. In Hitler's mind, it was preferable to either focus upon submachineguns or replace the Kar98 with the MKB 42 entirely for maximum effect rather than bring yet another weapon and cartridge into the line of supply, and thus the MKb 42h temporarily halted in development, rebilled as MP43, and lowered to evaluatory production by Hitler when this deception was uncovered. Though effective and simple to produce, its short barrel made for a poor bayonet platform, a lesser dedicated sniping platform to the Kar98, and the intermediate round was unable to launch rifle grenades, while its production required more complex machinery than the labor-intensive Kar98, poor qualities for a midwar replacement to a primary infantry weapon. Upon hearing of the new rifle's success in combat, Hitler approved of full production of the MP43 and dubbed it (or approved its dubbing; reports vary) the "Sturmgewehr 44," Storm Rifle, model 1944. Category:Weapons